Commitment
by sexymarauders
Summary: Teddy hates commitment. Follow Victoire and Teddy through their first years of marriage.
1. Chapter 1

The first few weeks had all been fine and well for Teddy. He had nervously proposed in the back garden of the Burrow, she had said yes, they had celebrated, and everyone was happy.

Then a few weeks later, when the elation had died down, Victoire started planning. And that was where the problem started for him.

He remembered the first time he got that twisted feeling in his gut. He had worked nights that week, and was just waking up when she got home from work. When Teddy worked nights, they'd share a mug of coffee until Teddy had to go.

He was pouring his when she abruptly asked him "Would you rather have a summer wedding or an autumn?"

He shouldn't have been as taken aback as he was. They were getting married. It was decided. But that sick feeling crept into his gut and he mumbled something about summer.

"That's what I thought. I mean, if we're gonna get married at Shell Cottage, it would make more sense,"

Teddy nodded numbly, sipping his coffee.

It wasn't as if he was afraid he didn't love her. He was one hundred and thirty seven thousand percent sure she was the one. And he was sure she felt the same way. It was just...marriage was a commitment. And Teddy hated commitments.

**A/N So this is just a prolouge type thing. Obviously. I'm gonna see what kinda response I get to see if I continue. I have the first couple chapters started but I'm having a hard time with a bigger story arc and sub-plots. So please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Let's go, Teddy!" yelled James from the bottom of the stairs.

"I really don't understand why we have to do this," said Teddy, trotting down the stairs at Shell Cottage, where they were all staying before the wedding. "Just another unnecessary party I don't want to go to!"

"Oh, lighten up, love," said Victoire, from where she was applying some makeup for her bachelorette party. "You'll have fun. Just the guys,"

"Harry said he's gonna pass on this one, though, Teddy," said Ginny. "He's working late tonight and you know how he feels about parties,"

"How come he gets to skip out and I can't!" said Teddy. "I never recall asking for a bachelor party. Did I ever ask for a bachelor party?"

"Your eyes asked for one," said James dramatically. "You'll be drunk in a half an hour and won't remember anything, I promise,"

"Don't talk like that, James," scolded Ginny.

"Mum! I'm well over the drinking age!"

"Yes, so you should be far more responsible now!"

"Like you've never been irresponsible!"

Teddy walked away to escape the bickering and say goodbye to Victoire.

"Promise you'll have a little fun?" she asked. She looked at him imploringly, with wide blue eyes.

"Fine," he said, a smile spreading over his face. "I'll see you tonight, okay? Have fun doing whatever you do,"

She kissed him. "You're adorable," she said.

"I know," he said, kissing her again. Her hair smelled sweet and her lips were soft and warm.

"Let's GO!" shouted James. "Before I barf, honestly...,"

sexymarauders

They had been there an hour and Teddy had taken one sip of his drink. James had made reservations at the Leaky Cauldron and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Even Al was dancing and flirting. The wonders of alcohol.

Teddy just sat the bar, contemplating his butterbeer. His mate Owen, came up to the bar and sat down next to him.

"Why aren't you dancing? Do you see the girls?"

"I'm engaged, Owen," reminded Teddy. He took a sip of his butterbeer.

"A ring don't mean a thing!" shouted Owen. Teddy raised his eyebrows. The ring he had given Victoire meant an awful lot of things, things he hadn't considered until a week before the wedding.

"Is that all you're drinking?" asked Owen. "C'mon, have some fun! Bartender! Some firewhiskey, if you please!"

Hannah walked over to them, a bottle in her hands. "I'm fine, Hannah, thanks," said Teddy, lifting his still full bottle. Hannah threw him a wink.

Owen left, taking a pretty brunette with him. Hannah leaned against the bar. "You know, Victoire won't be mad if you have fun," she said. "Look, even Neville's dancing!"

Teddy rolled his eyes. "I've got too much to think about," he said.

"Nervous about the wedding?" she asked.

"You could say that," said Teddy. "I just don't quite feel ready. I feel too young,"

"A lot of us married young, but Neville and I decided to wait," said Hannah, clearly reminiscing. "Harry and Ginny couldn't get married fast enough, right after the war and all that. How old are you again?"

"Twenty-eight," said Teddy. "Vic's twenty-six,"

Hannah nodded slowly. "I had just turned twenty-seven. I suppose a lot of it has to do with experience, in a way,"

"Why'd you wait?" he asked.

"Oh, I dunno, the timing was right, I guess. I had just bought the pub, Neville was off to work at Hogwarts in the fall, so we had an early summer wedding before he went off. You were there, remember?"

Teddy remembered. He was about nine. He remembered how pretty she had looked and how happy Neville was. But he mostly remembered the dead looking faces of Neville's parents, whom he had never met. They were accompanied by a Healer who assisted them with everything. He had whispered, frightened, to Harry, asking what had happened, and Harry told him later, how Bellatrix Lestrange, his grandmother's sister, the woman who had killed his mother and who Mrs. Weasley had killed, had tortured Alice and Frank until they were insane. Teddy's heart broke for Neville. He had never really thought about how much bad magic could do until then.

"Timing's everything," repeated Hannah with a wistful sigh, bringing Teddy out of his memory.

Teddy mulled over her words as he stared at the party, HIS party, dancing and cheering happily. He had felt ready when he proposed. Victoire was the only one for him. Why shouldn't the timing be right? He was just scared because it was so close, right? Probably. He had been stressing out all week for nothing! A week of panic over a lifetime of happiness? Teddy didn't understand himself at times.

"You know what, I will have a firewhiskey," he said. "And god damn it, I will have fun tonight,"

He downed the firewhiskey, and jumped off the barstool. He went into the throng of people that had congregated in the center of the bar. Hugo spotted him, pushing his way over to say hi.

"Hi!" he said eagerly. "Having fun? Excited about the wedding? I can't believe your getting married! Now everyone's gonna get married, huh? Marriage. Wow. What a weird thing. It's like, you have to spend the rest of your life with this person because you signed a paper. Crazy, huh? It's like, forever!"

Hugo was sweating and he looked slightly crazy.

"Do you need to sit down?" asked Teddy, although his mind was reeling with what he just heard. It was as if Hugo had looked in his brain and read everything he'd been thinking.

He assisted Hugo to a booth and sat him down. "Breathe," he instructed.

Breathe, he told himself.

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He woke up late the next morning to bright sunlight streaming through the room. He yawned and sat up. There was a knock at his door.

"Yeah?" he said. Victoire came in, smiling coyly at him. Bill had forbidden them to share a room while they stayed at Shell Cottage.

"Hi," he said, smiling at her. She jumped on the bed and crawled under the covers next to him, snuggling up to his bare chest.

"Tomorrow night we'll be married," she reminded him.

"Yeah," he said. He fingered her curly, strawberry-blonde locks.

"Nervous?" she asked.

He didn't respond for a moment. Her head rose and fell with his breathing, and she gently stroked circles on his chest.

"What if we just ran away and lived together?" he asked. "We could just...go to Austrailia, and just live there, just you and me!"

"My family's here," she stated simply. "And so is yours,"

There was another pause.

"Why are you so afraid of marriage? It's just our names on some papers," she said.

"Exactly," said Teddy, siting up a bit. "I don't understand why we can't just not get married,"

Victoire sat up next to him and looked him in the eyes. "Teddy, I have dreamed about marrying you since I was four years old and knew what marriage was. I love you, more than anything and I know you love me. So, can you please do this one thing for me? I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. I'm here with you,"

He searched her blue eyes. "Okay," he said.

"Okay," she said.

"Okay," he said again, leaning in for a kiss.

**a/n i cant end things for shit. but review if you liked it?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Oh hey! This chapter's sort of short, I apologize. It took a lot of revising, though, and I'm still not 100% happy with it yet. I don't know...Um, I'm not sure if I should change the rating or not. It's at K+, but there are discussions about sex and there will be more in upcoming chapters. Sorry if I make anyone uncomfortable. **

It had been such a great day. They had both had a successful day at work, and they both made dinner together, spaghetti with sauce. They had just cleared up the plate and Teddy had turned on the Wireless and they were dancing around their flat when she mentioned it.

"We're pregnant,"

She slipped it into the conversation so nonchalantly.

Teddy, who had his arms up to twirl her under them, let them drop limply to the sides. With his wand he flicked off the Wireless, the silence seeming louder than the music.

"Teddy?" she asked, more hesitantly.

"How?" he asked blankly. "We used protection every single day, yeah?" He wracked his brains, trying to remember.

"I think it broke," she said quietly. "After Rose's going away party...we were drunk, remember? It broke and you stopped but I wasn't ovulating so we thought... I've been thinking about it all day, trust me,"

Teddy nodded slowly. Of course. That had to be it. It felt as if a cold hand grabbed his insides and twisted them. It was one time! One time! They were so careful!

"Teddy?"

His mind was working overtime, there was no way, they had been so careful, so meticulous.

"Teddy, I know that you weren't ready to have kids yet, but I think this is a...a happy accident!"

"A happy accident?" repeated Teddy, dumbfounded. "Victoire, you are pregnant! In less than nine months, we will have a baby that we have to raise and feed and take care of! A human being! With it's life in our hands!"

"Oh, bullshit!" shouted Victoire. "You work with children everyday! That's not the real reason you're afraid! You think they're gonna be a monster like your father!" She paced into the kitchen. Teddy followed her, his heart pounding madly in his ears.

"Werewolves aren't just born, Teddy," she said. "They have to be bitten,"

"My father was the first wolf to procreate," said Teddy, slowly. "And I think I just got lucky because Mum was a Metamorphagus. But the gene is still in me, and it's in you a little, too. What I'm saying is, no one knows how it works. We're playing an incredible game of Russian Roulette, here,"

"Don't patronize me, Teddy," she said coldly.

"I wasn't-," he began.

"I know how genetics work," she said. She placed her elbows on the counter, leaning on them and staring at him. "Look," she said. "Your problem is that you worry too much. You take a problem, and you analyze it to death, and you come up with the worst possible solutions for it! You need to lighten up, Teddy!"

"At least I'm responsible!" he said, his voice rising dangerously. "I don't forget to buy food or run errands! I have a plan Victoire, and a baby wasn't in it!"

"I'm sure your child will appreciate it when they ask me where their dad is, and I tell them that they 'weren't in his plans,' They'll really love that!" she yelled back.

There was a silence. They glared at each other. Teddy felt like a child again, like when they would argue over who got to pick out the story first. He wanted to throw something, to kick something until he had control. He clenched his hands into fists over and over, feeling his nails cut into his hands.

"I can't-," he started, took a breath and stopped, then restarted. "I'm gonna stay at James' tonight, okay? I'll see you,"

He figured she'd scream something terrible at him, call him a coward, throw something break something - anything would be better than the look she gave him at that moment.

She nodded shortly, turned around and walked to their bedroom.

Teddy had the sudden thought, like he always did after a fight, what if he came back and she had died in some freak accident? What if he never got to say "I love you," again? He stared at the doorway to their bedroom for just a bit too long, then walked out the door of their flat, slamming it satisfyingly behind him.

sexymarauders

Teddy paused before knocking on James' door. There was laughter, loud laughter, followed by hooting and hollering. He bit his lip, then realized he really had no other place to go. He knocked.

He was waiting for only a few seconds when James flung open the door, grinning, his eyebrows smoking and pantless.

"Merlin!" Teddy shrieked, holding up his hands. "What the bloody hell-,"

"Strip Exploding Snap!" said James excitedly. Teddy winced. "We invited some girls, but they didn't show-,"

"Making it incredibly gay," finished Teddy. "Look, Victoire and I got in a bit of an argument, can I sleep here tonight?"

"Sure," shrugged James, letting Teddy step by him. "Why didn't you go to my dad's?"

"Didn't feel like getting a lecture from he-who-knows-all," said Teddy, which was true. He knew most of this mess was his fault, and Harry would call him out on it.

He stood in James' tiny kitchen, not wanting to step anywhere near the living room where rude language and naked men awaited.

"Is everything alright?" asked James. He seemed hesitant. Usually his brother was the one for asking about feelings and relationships and things like that. "We can talk if-if you want,"

Teddy looked at James. His brown eyes were open wide in earnest, ready to listen. He was surprised. James was growing up. Teddy faked a smile. "Thanks, James," he said. "It'll all be sorted out,"

James looked slightly disappointed. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Teddy,"

"I know," he said. "I just-This should stay between Victoire and me. It's nothing personal,"

James nodded shortly, turning towards the cupboard and grabbing a butter-beer.

"Hey, James?" said Teddy.

"Yeah?"

"Put on some pants,"

**So thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Teddy stood outside their flat, feeling foolish. He shouldn't have to knock on the door, he was a grown man! This was his home, goddamn it!

He reached out to turn the doorknob, right as it opened and Dom brushed by him.

"Hey," he said, easily. Vic had probably blabbed to her about everything. She probably hated him right now. "How's the baby?" In fact, Dom was so obsessed with her new baby, she insisted the families afternoon at the Burrow was actually a baby shower for Jonathan.

"You're a prick!" she called as she walked down the corridor of their apartment complex. He didn't care, Dom had never really cared for him and he had never really cared for Dom.

"Nice chat!" he replied. He stepped hesitantly into their flat. "Vic?" he called. She was sitting on their couch, clutching a mug of tea. She twisted around and saw him.

"I'm sorry," he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I panicked yesterday...I didn't mean half of what I said! We need to talk," he finished lamely.

"It's fine," she said, although she still looked slightly hurt. Teddy hopped over the back of the couch and landed next to her. "Look, I didn't mean to tell Dom, I was throwing up in the bathroom and she came in and figured it out."

"Morning sickness. Right. Because you're pregnant," he said to himself. Just another confirmation that this was for real, that this was actually happening.

She nodded. "I think we should let everyone know," she said. "Today, at the Burrow,"

"Are you mad?" he repeated. "I'm having a mental breakdown coming to terms with it myself, there's no way that everyone else-,"

"Look, we're not telling a roomful of paranoid Teddy's we're telling a room full of people who will be delighted, most likely. Why should we keep it a secret?"

"We haven't even seen a Healer yet! We should just be sure that nothing's wrong, that the baby's going to make it-,"

Victoire slammed down her mug of tea on the coffee table, raising her shirt to reveal her stomach. "There! You're a Healer, have you seen everything? Have you figured out what million things can go wrong?"

Teddy found himself trying to shout above her. "You know perfectly well I work in pediatrics and not with expecting mothers!"

"I'm just saying that you don't have to find a negative in everything Teddy if you maybe found one positive that would be nice!"

"I'm sorry if I'm not carefree like some other people who may or may not be sitting next to me on a couch!"

They were yelling worse than last night, screaming foolish, unnecessary phrases at each other until a bang came from the wall connecting their flat and their neighbors, and a shout to keep it down.

Teddy looked away from her guiltily.

"We got some complaints last night," she mentioned.

"Oh," he said.

She nodded and picked up her tea, sipping it. When she set it back down, he leaned forward and kissed her.

"What are you-,"

"Being spontaneous," he said, running a hand through her hair.

She responded in her normal Victoire way, going into the kiss wholeheartedly until she was lying on top of him, beaming down.

"What was that for?" she asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen on his face.

"I figured that if we're going to make this work, I'm going to have to...you know, relax a little more,"

He looked at her, at her perfect lips and body and hair and voice and smile. Merlin, he was turned on.

"We need to talk about the baby," he said, against everything his body was telling him to do, and she sat up. She took a sip of her tea and slowly nodded.

"We need to promise not to argue," she said. "We need to know right now that we are going to disagree, and we need to say right now we will try our best not to shout,"

Teddy nodded.

"Adult conversation,"

He came to the realization that Victoire and him hadn't really ever had a conversation that didn't end with them fighting, laughing, or making out. "Adult conversation." he repeated.

Victoire took his hand and sandwiched it between hers. "Will you do some research on child werewolves at work?"

Those words took an immense weight off of Teddy's shoulders. The fact that she faced the possibility that their child might not be normal comforted him in a million different ways. He wanted to tell her this, but he didn't know how to describe the fact that his heart was swelling without sounding crazy, so he just nodded.

"I need you, Vic," he said. "I need you or I won't be able to make it through this,"

She nodded. She licked her lips, fiddling with her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath.

"I'm scared too," she said. "I don't want to admit it, but I'm terrified. And the fact that you're scared scares me,"

He took her hands again.

"The fact that you're scared scares me less," he said, laughing.

She grinned. "We're a good balance for each other,"

yoyoyoscenebreak

Teddy was seriously contemplating picking up his wand and killing himself as he sat in the Burrow that afternoon. Present after present was brought out, cooed over, and talked over. Teddy was on his third butterbeer, and sat next to James, whose head was in his hands as he muttered to himself.

"End it, Ted," he heard. "Please, Goddammit, end it,"

"She's your best mate, you do something," Teddy whispered back. Even Victoire had made her way wearily back to their couch and slid in next to Teddy, resting her head on his shoulder.

"She's not talking to me since I refused to bring a present to this stupid celebration,"

Teddy laughed.

After the presents were finally done, Harry and Ginny stood up nervously and looked around.

"We-er, we have an announcement and we think the timing is just about perfect," said Harry, smiling uncertainly at his wife.

"We're pregnant," finished Ginny.

Teddy's jaw dropped. Many of the girls squealed, Hermione looked absolutely ecstatic, and Mrs. Weasley looked torn between disgust and excitement.

Al was the first one to speak. "How?"

Teddy piped up with his medical knowledge. "Often, when a woman is going through uh, menopause-there's a sudden burst of fertility. And Harry and Ginny seemed to get uh, lucky,"

"Okay, thank you, Teddy, that was enlightening," said Lily, her face pale and disgusted. James had dropped his head into his hands again, and Al looked as if he was going to faint.

"I know this is probably a shock for some of you, but I think- I think it's a good thing," said Harry. Ginny nodded firmly.

"We'll welcome the baby with open arms," said Mrs. Weasley.

Teddy's head was spinning. Harry and Ginny pregnant? At the same time as Vic? It didn't seem right, them both having babies. They would probably end up being friends and- it was just a little too weird for him. His eyes landed on baby Jonathan. He lay on a blanket on the floor, cooing and gurgling. They were going to have one soon. He was going to be a father soon.

He felt Victoire stand up next to him and clear her throat. He realized what she was going to do a second too late.

"Vic-no! We talked about this!" he hissed, as she beamed around the room.

"We're pregnant, too," she announced.

"Merlin, this family is weird," muttered Hugo.

scenebreaklalala

Teddy silently flipped through the photo album he found in Mrs. Weasley's room. It was weird, like going through a sort of time portal. There he was, falling off his broom, laughing. He turned the page and saw himself cautiously holding newborn baby Lily. There was a knock at the door and eighteen year old Lily poked through.

"Hey," she said quietly. "Thought I'd find you in here."

She perched on the bed next to him. Teddy looked at the baby picture of her, realizing how weird it was that that lump of a baby had turned into a person, with a personality and a story and a reason.

"There's a whole lot of people down there waiting to congratulate you," she said. "And you have to leave sometime."

"Apparation, Lily. Just 'cause you failed your test again doesn't mean the rest of the world can't use it,"

"Don't be rude," she chastised him. "Are you okay, though?"

He paused for a minute, turning the words he wanted to say around in his head. He was confused, tired, and there was a pounding in his head.

"I just don't think I'm as cut out for it as everyone thinks," he muttered. His eyes landed on a picture of him in a tiny red blanket, being held by Harry. It struck him how young Harry looked in this picture, younger than Lily, and how scared he must've felt.

"Do you think my dad had any idea?" Lily said, a tone of confidence in her voice. "Merlin, Ted, he's just a kid there and everyone expected him to know how to raise a kid. He never had a proper father, either, remember. You have the power to turn this kid into anyone you like. It's a responsibility, sure, but I know you can handle it." She looked at him with such assurance he had to believe her.

"Thanks," he said. "Are you okay? You're not gonna be the baby anymore,"

She shuddered. "Thanks for reminding me. Just a lot to take in, you know?"

Teddy did know. It was one of the only things he felt like he knew anymore.


End file.
